OppositionCast

It's manifesto week, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats having launched theirs, and Labour's still to come on Thursday. Nigel and Sarah discuss these as well as the most recent TV debates and the state of the polls. We're also joined by Dr Richard Johnson of Queen Mary, University of London, one of the co-authors of a new book, "Keeping the Red Flag Flying - The Labour Party in Opposition since 1922". What lessons might the party's past experience have for today's politicians? Plus, Sarah accompanies Nigel on our latest trip back to 1997, where the party leaders are having to compete for coverage with a pair of chickens and an ambush on Knutsford Heath... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme music by Tom Hector

What are the challenges facing the Lib Dems in this election, and what does success look like for them? In this episode, Nigel and Sarah are joined by Mark Pack, President of the Liberal Democrats, to answer these and other questions. Meanwhile the Prime Minister has been forced to apologise after he received a barrage of criticism for leaving the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations early to conduct a TV interview. How did this happen? And in our series looking back at the 1997 General Election we've reached the parties' manifesto launches - and Nigel risks running into his younger self... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

As we await the first Leaders' TV debate of the election, Nigel and Sarah discuss the news from the campaign trail, including the effect of Nigel Farage's return to the political fray, and what the latest opinion poll tells us. We also head back for our "live" coverage of the 1997 General Election, where TV debates are also under discussion, along with a look at Tony Blair's battlebus, and a guest appearance from The Spice Girls... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

In this all-star edition of the podcast we speak to Gyles Brandreth and John Sergeant about parallels with previous General Elections, and veteran journalist and author Michael Crick about his work tracking parliamentary candidate selections. Sarah and Nigel also discuss how much fun Ed Davey is having on the campaign trail, Rishi Sunak's excitement at taking a sleeper train, and whether Diane Abbott will be allowed to stand as a Labour MP. We also take another trip back to 1997 to cover that year's campaign in real time... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

As we approach the end of the first week of the General Election campaign, Nigel and Sarah discuss how the opening stages have gone- with Labour proposing lowering the voting age to 16, and the Conservatives announcing the return of national service (sort of). Sarah shares her thought on the visuals of the campaign, including the Prime Minister visiting the Titanic quarter in Belfast, and reveals how she saved David Cameron from a potentially embarrassing photo at a bread factory. Meanwhile, Nigel gets in his TARDIS to travel back to 1997 to begin a new feature charting the progress of that year's General Election in "real time". Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

As the UK General Election campaign gets properly underway, we unveil exciting changes to the podcast! Joining Nigel Fletcher as our new co-host is political commentator and comedian Sarah Southern, who in her previous career was a key aide to David Cameron during the 2010 General Election (the last time a Leader of the Opposition made the transition to government). From now until polling day on 4th July, Nigel and Sarah will draw on their experience to analyse the latest campaign developments every Tuesday and Friday, joined by occasional special guests. In this episode they discuss the election, review the party leaders' first campaigning events, and remember how the Conservatives tried to sabotage Gordon Brown's election announcement. Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

EMERGENCY PODCAST! (As they say) With Rishi Sunak calling the General Election for 4th July, Nigel Fletcher gives his initial observations on the campaign and we hear from a variety of opposition party leaders in their first campaign appearances. Plus, some hints about our exciting plans for coverage of the rest of the election campaign. Stay tuned... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme music by Tom Hector

Wales is often seen as one of the most anti-Conservative parts of Britain, with a strongly working-class Labour tradition. But in the postwar period the Conservative Party has remained the second party of Wales in electoral terms. In this episode Nigel talks to Dr Sam Blaxland, author of a new book charting the history of the Conservative Party in Wales 1945-1997. The story is a more nuanced than is often presumed, with some surprising results in elections during the period. Why have the Conservatives remained the main opposition to Labour in Wales, and with the next election looming, how secure is this position? Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme music by Tom Hector

In the UK, the Labour Party has held a convincing lead over the Conservatives in the opinion polls since the disastrous impact of the "Mini-budget" under Liz Truss in the autumn of 2022. This month we've had another "fiscal event" in the shape of Jeremy Hunt's budget, but this doesn't seem to have had much effect on the polls at all. How can a "big moment" change the political weather, and what trends and issues lie behind the political opinion polls we're currently seeing? In this episode Nigel is joined by Professor Jane Green, Co-Director of the British Election Study and the new President of the British Polling Council, for an in-depth discussion of the state of the polls. Meanwhile in the United States, all looks set for a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump in November, with Trump's last remaining rival for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, suspending her campaign this month. She stopped short of a positive endorsement of the presumptive nominee, however. Could there yet be more surprises to come? Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme Music by Tom Hector

Over recent years, as leadership turmoil regularly engulfed the Conservative Party, the position of the 1922 Committee was brought to greater public attention. It provides a channel for communicating backbench dissent to the party leadership, and oversees formal leadership and no-confidence votes. But how did it come to exist, and how has its role changed? In this episode we speak to Professor Philip Norton (Lord Norton of Louth), who has written a history of the committee to mark its 100th anniversary last year. We also consider the impact of George Galloway's victory in the Rochdale by-election, and the continuing pressure on the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle. Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme Music by Tom Hector